the moon pool-第8章

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the　first　heralding　sigh　and　the　intensification　of　the　moon…

light　in　the　courtyard。　　And　this　glow　grew　for　at　least　ten

minutes　more　before　the　first　burst　of　the　crystal　notes。　　In…

deed；　more　than　half　an　hour　must　have　elapsed；　I　calculated；

between　the　moment　the　moon　showed　above　the　horizon

and　the　first　delicate　onslaught　of　the　tinklings。



〃'Edith！'　I　cried。　　'I　think　I　have　it！　　The　grey　rock　opens

five　minutes　after　upon　the　moonrise。　　But　whoever　or　what…

ever　it　is　that　comes　through　it　must　wait　until　the　moon　has

risen　higher；　or　else　it　must　come　from　a　distance。　　The　thing

to　do　is　not　to　wait　for　it；　but　to　surprise　it　before　it　passes

out　the　door。　　We　will　go　into　the　inner　court　early。　　You　will

take　your　rifle　and　pistol　and　hide　yourself　where　you　can

command　the　openingif　the　slab　does　open。　　The　instant　it

opens　I　will　enter。　　It's　our　best　chance；　Edith。　　I　think　it's　our

only　one。'



〃My　wife　demurred　strongly。　　She　wanted　to　go　with　me。

But　I　convinced　her　that　it　was　better　for　her　to　stand　guard

without；　prepared　to　help　me　if　I　were　forced　again　into　the

open　by　what　lay　behind　the　rock。



〃At　the　half…hour　before　moonrise　we　went　into　the　inner

court。　　I　took　my　place　at　the　side　of　the　grey　rock。　　Edith

crouched　behind　a　broken　pillar　twenty　feet　away；　slipped

her　rifle…barrel　over　it　so　that　it　would　cover　the　opening。



〃The　minutes　crept　by。　　The　darkness　lessened　and　through

the　breaches　of　the　terrace　I　watched　the　far　sky　softly

lighten。　　With　the　first　pale　flush　the　silence　of　the　place

intensified。　　It　deepened；　became　unbearablyexpectant。　　The

moon　rose；　showed　the　quarter；　the　half；　then　swam　up　into

full　sight　like　a　great　bubble。



〃Its　rays　fell　upon　the　wall　before　me　and　suddenly　upon

the　convexities　I　have　described　seven　little　circles　of　light

sprang　out。　　They　gleamed；　glimmered；　grew　brightershone。

The　gigantic　slab　before　me　glowed　with　them；　silver　wave…

lets　of　phosphorescence　pulsed　over　its　surface　and　then

it　turned　as　though　on　a　pivot；　sighing　softly　as　it　moved！



〃With　a　word　to　Edith　I　flung　myself　through　the　opening。

A　tunnel　stretched　before　me。　　It　glowed　with　the　same　faint

silvery　radiance。　　Down　it　I　raced。　　The　passage　turned　ab…

ruptly；　passed　parallel　to　the　walls　of　the　outer　courtyard

and　then　once　more　led　downward。



〃The　passage　ended。　　Before　me　was　a　high　vaulted　arch。

It　seemed　to　open　into　space；　a　space　filled　with　lambent；

coruscating；　many…coloured　mist　whose　brightness　grew　even

as　I　watched。　　I　passed　through　the　arch　and　stopped　in　sheer

awe！



〃In　front　of　me　was　a　pool。　　It　was　circular；　perhaps　twenty

feet　wide。　　Around　it　ran　a　low；　softly　curved　lip　of　glimmer…

ing　silvery　stone。　　Its　water　was　palest　blue。　　The　pool　with　its

silvery　rim　was　like　a　great　blue　eye　staring　upward。



〃Upon　it　streamed　seven　shafts　of　radiance。　　They　poured

down　upon　the　blue　eye　like　cylindrical　torrents；　they　were

like　shining　pillars　of　light　rising　from　a　sapphire　floor。



〃One　was　the　tender　pink　of　the　pearl；　one　of　the　aurora's

green；　a　third　a　deathly　white；　the　fourth　the　blue　in　mother…

of…pearl；　a　shimmering　column　of　pale　amber；　a　beam　of

amethyst；　a　shaft　of　molten　silver。　　Such　are　the　colours　of

the　seven　lights　that　stream　upon　the　Moon　Pool。　　I　drew

closer；　awestricken。　　The　shafts　did　not　illumine　the　depths。

They　played　upon　the　surface　and　seemed　there　to　diffuse；

to　melt　into　it。　　The　Pool　drank　them？



〃Through　the　water　tiny　gleams　of　phosphorescence　be…

gan　to　dart；　sparkles　and　coruscations　of　pale　incandescence。

And　far；　far　below　I　sensed　a　movement；　a　shifting　glow　as

of　a　radiant　body　slowly　rising。



〃I　looked　upward；　following　the　radiant　pillars　to　their

source。　　Far　above　were　seven　shining　globes；　and　it　was　from

these　that　the　rays　poured。　　Even　as　I　watched　their　bright…

ness　grew。　　They　were　like　seven　moons　set　high　in　some

caverned　heaven。　　Slowly　their　splendour　increased；　and　with

it　the　splendour　of　the　seven　beams　streaming　from　them。



〃I　tore　my　gaze　away　and　stared　at　the　Pool。　　It　had　grown

milky；　opalescent。　　The　rays　gushing　into　it　seemed　to　be

filling　it；　it　was　alive　with　sparklings；　scintillations；　glimmer…

ings。　　And　the　luminescence　I　had　seen　rising　from　its　depths

was　larger；　nearer！



〃A　swirl　of　mist　floated　up　from　its　surface。　　It　drifted

within　the　embrace　of　the　rosy　beam　and　hung　there　for　a

moment。　　The　beam　seemed　to　embrace　it；　sending　through

it　little　shining　corpuscles；　tiny　rosy　spiralings。　　The　mist

absorbed　the　rays；　was　strengthened　by　them；　gained　sub…

stance。　　Another　swirl　sprang　into　the　amber　shaft；　clung　and

fed　there；　moved　swiftly　toward　the　first　and　mingled　with

it。　And　now　other　swirls　arose；　here　and　there；　too　fast　to

be　counted；　hung　poised　in　the　embrace　of　the　light　streams；

flashed　and　pulsed　into　each　other。



〃Thicker　and　thicker　still　they　arose　until　over　the　surface

of　the　Pool　was　a　pulsating　pillar　of　opalescent　mist　steadily

growing　stronger；　drawing　within　it　life　from　the　seven

beams　falling　upon　it；　drawing　to　it　from　below　the　darting；

incandescent　atoms　of　the　Pool。　　Into　its　centre　was　passing

the　luminescence　rising　from　the　far　depths。　　And　the　pillar

glowed；　throbbedbegan　to　send　out　questing　swirls　and

tendrils



〃There　forming　before　me　was　That　which　had　walked

with　Stanton；　which　had　taken　Thorathe　thing　I　had　come

to　find！



〃My　brain　sprang　into　action。　　My　hand　threw　up　the　pistol

and　I　fired　shot　after　shot　into　the　shining　core。



〃As　I　fired；　it　swayed　and　shook；　gathered　again。　　I　slipped

a　second　clip　into　the　automatic　and　another　idea　coming

to　me　took　careful　aim　at　one　of　the　globes　in　the　roof。　　From

thence　I　knew　came　the　force　that　shaped　this　Dweller　in

the　Poolfrom　the　pouring　rays　came　its　strength。　　If　I　could

destroy　them　I　could　check　its　forming。　　I　fired　again　and

again。　　If　I　hit　the　globes　I　did　no　damage。　　The　little　motes

in　their　beams　danced　with　the　motes　in　the　mist；　troubled。

That　was　all。



〃But　up　from　the　Pool　like　little　bells；　like　tiny　bursting

bubbles　of　glass；　swarmed　the　tinkling　soundstheir　pitch

higher；　all　their　sweetness　lost；　angry。



〃And　out　from　the　Inexplicable　swept　a　shining　spiral。



〃It　caught　me　above　the　heart；　wrapped　itself　around　me。

There　rushed　through　me　a　mingled　ecstasy　and　horror。

Every　atom　of　me　quivered　with　delight　and　shrank　with

despair。　　There　was　nothing　loathsome　in　it。　　But　it　was　as

though　the　icy　soul　of　evil　and　the　fiery　soul　of　good　had

stepped　together　within　me。　　The　pistol　dropped　from　my

hand。



〃So　I　stood　while　the　Pool　gleamed　and　sparkled；　the

streams　of　light　grew　more　intense　and　the　radiant　Thing

that　held　me　gleamed　and　strengthened。　　Its　shining　core　had

shapebut　a　shape　that　my　eyes　and　brain　could　not　define。

It　was　as　though　a　being　of　another　sphere　should　assume

what　it　might　of　human　semblance；　but　was　not　able　to　con…

ceal　that　what　human　eyes　saw　was　but　a　part　of　it。　　It　was

neither　man　nor　woman；　it　was　unearthly　and　androgynous。

Even　as　I　found　its　human　semblance　it　changed。　　And　still

the　mingled　rapture　and　terror　held　me。　　Only　in　a　little　corner

of　my　brain　dwelt　something　untouched；　something　that　held

itself　apart　and　watched。　　Was　it　the　soul？　　I　have　never　be…

lievedand　yet



〃Over　the　head　of　the　misty　body　there　sprang　suddenly

out　seven　little　lights。　　Each　was　the　colour　of　the　beam　be…

neath　which　it　rested。　　I　knew　now　that　the　Dweller　was

complete！



〃I　heard　a　scream。　　It　was　Edith's　voice。　　It　came　to　me

that　she　had　heard　the　shots　and　followed　me。　　I　felt　every

faculty　concentrate　into　a　mighty　effort。　　I　wrenched　myself

free　from　the　gripping　tentacle　and　it　swept　back。　　I　turned

to　catch　Edith；　and　as　I　did　so　slippedfell。



〃The　radiant　shape　above　the　Pool　l